Friday, July 2, 2010

In Memory..

First and foremost, before I update you all on the events of the day, I have to talk about some events that occurred before my arrival..

I remember when I first found out about the earthquake in Haiti. I was talking to my good friend on the phone, when she had asked me if I had heard about what appened in Haiti. Immediately after she explained what had happened, my heart went out to the Haitian people. I went and read news stories about the devastation and I knew that there was no where else on earth that I wanted to go more.

But when the disaster really became real for me, and struck close to home was when I learned about the death of two good missionaries who attended my church. One of the men I only knew from a distance. Merle West was a man whom I had seen on several occasions but never actually knew personally. His friend Gene Dufour I had the honor of meeting on one occasion.. While working on my pastors roof a few summers back, I happened to be working with him.

It was towards the end of the day and most of everybody else had already gone home, but me and Gene continued. I remember that I was starting to get tired and slow down, but Gene was still working like a mad man. Of course for the sake of my dignity and pride I couldn't let this old man show me up! So there we were working. We didn't exchange many words however, it seemed like he was surely a man of few words that spoke with his actions.

Gene and Merle had both landed in Haiti on January 12th about an hour before the earthquake struck. They both had been inside a three story FOHO(Friends of Haiti Organization, which I am now apart of) building when it collapsed.

This is their grave, beneath the cement, which I visited today..

I know that they will both be missed by many. I have spoken with several people here in Haiti that spoke well of the both of them for all that they had done on their trips here.

I believe that our Father welcomed them both with a smile and a hug. Beyond all else we must remember that for those of us that live our lives for Him, that death is the greatest and sweetest reward.

I pray just like my life, that my death would have purpose and meaning as well. I don't want to die of old age, or in the comfort of my sleep. I hope that once my Heavenly Father calls me home, that it will be as truly beautiful as breathing my last breath in the rubble in Haiti while serving the LORD!